Process for producing a structurally modified interferon

ABSTRACT

The invention provides structurally modified interferons, processes for producing such and a method of purification of interferons and structurally modified interferons. The modified interferons are useful as anti-viral agents.

This is a division of application Ser. No. 547,782 filed Feb. 6, 1975,now U.S. Pat. No. 4,061,538 which in turn is a continuation-in-part ofSer. No. 456,702, filed Apr. 1, 1974, now abandoned.

This invention relates to interferons, in particular to the purificationand structural modification thereof.

Interferons are known, anti-virally active compounds which are producedin vivo by living organisms and in vitro by tissue cultures in responseto the action of a variety of specific inducers, in particular bothviral and non-viral inducers. They are well described in the literatureand have been shown to have a broad spectrum of activity against manydifferent types of viruses, to be non-toxic and to be non-antigenic.Interferons, therefore, have great potential in the treatment and, inparticular, prophylaxis of viral infections, especially having regard tothe rather limited range of the synthetic, anti-viral drugs currentlyavailable. However, their potential has not been realised due to theinability to produce interferons in sufficient quantity, the lack ofpurity of the interferons hitherto produced, and the fact thatinterferons have a relatively short half-life when administeredparenterally.

The present invention provides a number of methods of modifying theinterferon structure such that the half-life is increased while theanti-viral activity is not substantially diminished. The presentinvention also provides a method of purifying interferons andstructurally modified interferons.

Little is known about the chemical nature of interferons, largelybecause of the insufficient purity of interferons hitherto produced,thus ruling out direct chemical analysis. Some structuralcharacteristics have, however, been deduced by various enzymatic andchemical treatments of impure interferon preparations and evaluation ofanti-viral activity of the resulting products. What is clear is thatinterferons are proteins, or at least contain protein as a maincomponent, and that part of the molecule consists of carbohydrateradicals. It has also been tentatively suggested that interferons areglycoproteins having a terminal sialic acid unit [E. Schonne et. al.,Symp. Series Immunobiol. Standard 14, 61 (1969)] although thishypothesis has yet to be conclusively confirmed. The present inventionis based on, and largely supports, the assumption that interferons aresuch glycoproteins. The present invention also confirms that thepenultimate saccharide unit is a galactose radical.

The present invention provides processes for producing interferonderivatives characterised by

(a) enzymatically introducing sialic acids into interferons orasialointerferons using specific sialyl transferases,

(b) enzymatically oxidising the terminal galactose unit inasialointerferons with galactose oxidase,

(c) enzymatically splitting the terminal galactose unit inasialointerferons with specific galactosidase.

Process (a) may be effected employing methods conventional for theintroduction of sialic acids, particularly N-acetylneuraminic acid, intoglycoproteins or asialoglycoproteins. The specific sialyl transferasesemployed are also known for such processes and include sialyltransferase from rat liver (RLST) [J. Hickman et. al., J. Biol. Chem.245, 759 (1970)], from cattle colustrum (CCST) [B. A. Bartholomew and G.W. Jourden, Methods in Enzymology 8, 368 (1966)], from sheepsubmaxillary gland (SSGST) [D. M. Carlson et. al., Methods ofEnzymology, 8, 361 (1966)] and from embryonic chicken brain (ECBST) [B.Kaufman and S. Basu, Methods in Enzymology 8, 365 (1966)]. Theconditions at which the process is preferably carried out are standardand vary depending on the enzyme employed. Thus, in general the processis effected in a pH range of from 5.5 to 8.0 although this varies withthe enzyme employed. Thus, with RLST, which is the preferredtransferase, the pH is preferably 6.0 to 8.0, using, for example,2-(N-morpholino)ethane sulphonic acid or Tris-chloride buffers; withCCST the pH is preferably 6.4 to 7.2, using, for example, phosphatebuffers, and with SSGST, the pH is preferably 5.8 to 6, using Cacodylateacetate buffer. There are no demonstrable metal requirements for theseenzymes, although EDTA may stimulate the activities. The sialic aciddonor is suitably CMP-N-acetylneuraminic acid, but may alternatively beCMP-N-glycolylneuraminic acid where SSGST is employed as thetransferase. Temperatures and other conditions are conventional and aredescribed in the literature.

Process (b) is also carried out in manner conventional for the oxidationof terminal galactose residues in glycoproteins using the enzymegalactose oxidase (which is available commercially). The conditions ofthe oxidation are standard and it may, for example, be effected at a pHof from 7.0 to 8.0 using, for example, a phosphate buffer. The degree ofoxidation may be checked by subsequent reduction of the newly formed C6aldehyde group with labelled, e.g., tritiated, sodium borohydride. Whenthe reduced material is hydrolysed, e.g. with hydrochloric acid, theresulting labelled galactose in the hydrolysate can be determined bypaper chromatography.

Process (c) is effected in standard manner for splitting off terminalgalactose units in glycoproteins, using β-galactosidases known for thispurpose, including those of bacterial or animal origin, e.g. that fromDipplococcus pneumoniae (DPG) [R. C. Hughes and R. W. Jeanloz, Biochem.3, 1535 (1964)] , from Concanavalia ensiformis (CEG) [Y. T. Li and S. C.Li, Methods in Enzymology 28, 702 (1972)], from Phaseus vulgaris (PVG)[K. M. L. Agranal and O. P. Bahl, Methods in Enzymology 28, 720 (1972)],from Aspergillus niger (ANG) [O. P. Bahl and K. M. L. Agranal, Methodsin Enzymology 28, 728 (1972)] and from Clostridium perfringens (CPG) [E.J. McGuire et. al., Methods in Enzymology 28, 755, (1972)]. Theconditions of the process are conventional and depend largely on theenzyme employed. Thus, for example, while the process may generally beeffected at a pH of from 3.5 to 6.5, the preferred pH ranges forspecific enzymes are, with DPG, which is most preferred, 6.3 to 6.5using, for example, phosphate buffer, with CEG, 3.5 to 4.5; with PVG,3.5 to 4.8, and with ANG 3.8 to 4.6 and with CPG 4.5 to 8.0. Thesplitting off of the galactose residues can be ascertained withtritiated asialointerferon. This is treated with β-galactosidase,dialysed and hydrolysed, and the tritiated galactose can be detected inthe hydrolysate.

The resulting interferon derivatives can be concentrated and purified inconventional manner, for example by ultra-centrifugation,electrofocusing or chromatography.

The asialointerferons, which are interferons in which terminal sialicresidues have been released fully or partially, used as startingmaterials in processes (a), (b) and (c), are either known [E. Schonne etal. Symp. Series Immunobiol. Standard 14 61(1969)] or can be produced inmanner conventional for removing terminal sialic acid residues fromglycoproteins. They may thus be produced by mild acid hydrolysis ofinterferons, for example by prolonged incubation at pH 2 in the cold,for example at 4° C. for 1 week. Alternatively, they may be produced bytreatment of interferons with neuraminidase of bacterial or animalorigin, for example that obtained from Vibrio cholerae, Clostridiumperfringens or Diplococcus pneumoniae [R. Drzenieck, Current Topics inMicrobiology and Immunology 59, 35(1972)] or from rat heart. Theincubation conditions are standard and depend on the neurominidaseemployed. For example, with V. cholerae neuraminidase a pH of 5.5 seemsto be optimum, using for example acetate buffer, and with D. pneumoniaea pH of 6.5 is preferable.

If desired, the alternative desialylation procedures described above canboth be effected to obtain increased desialylation.

The resulting asialointerferons can be isolated and purified usingconventional techniques.

The interferons themselves, used as starting materials, are welldescribed in the literature and may be produced by interaction ofinducers, such as RNS- and DNS- viruses, as well as non-viral inducers,such as natural or synthetic double strain RNS with cells, in vivo or invitro. Specific interferons that may be mentioned are interferonsinduced by various inducers in the rabbit, chick, mouse, ape, calf, pig,duck or man.

The present invention also provides a process for the production ofstructurally modified interferons biosynthetically by incompletesynthesis of the carbohydrate portion of interferons. More particularly,the invention provides a method of producing a structurally modifiedinterferon comprising inhibiting carbohydrate synthesis duringinterferon biosynthesis by incorporating specific inhibitors, whichpreferably contain 2-desoxyglucose or 2-desoxy-2-aminoglucose, into thereaction medium. The process is carried out in manner conventional forthe inhibition of carbohydrate synthesis in proteins. For example,employing 2-desoxyglucose or 2-desoxy-2-aminoglucose, the process issuitably carried out at a temperature of about 30° to 40° C., preferably37° C. The resulting product is modified to the extent that it appearsto contain no terminal galactose units.

The structurally modified interferons so produced may be isolated andpurified by conventional techniques.

The invention also provides a purification process for preparations ofinterferons, asialointerferons or interferons modified in accordancewith the invention, comprising chromatographing the preparation over animmobilised agglutinin and subsequently desorbing the agglutinin-boundinterferon, asialointerferon or modified interferon. This affinitychromatographic purification procedure can be carried out inconventional manner. Thus, the agglutinin ligand is suitably immobilisedin a substantially inert solid matrix. Suitable matrixes depend to someextent in the agglutinin employed, but the preferred matrix is agerosewhich is activated in known manner and covalently binds to theagglutinin (e.g. P. Cuatrecasas et al. Biochemistry 11, 2291-2299). Theinterferons are specifically adsorbed through their carbohydrateportions to the agglutinin while impurities largely pass through. Theadsorbed interferons are then eluted with a suitable eluant. Suitableagglutinins are those which can be used for known glycoproteinpurification, particularly phytohaemaglutinins from Lens culinaris,Triticum vulgaris, Lotus tetragonolobus, Ricinus comunis and preferablyPhaseus vulgaris. The eluant used to desorb the bound interferon maydepend on the agglutinin employed but, in general, is suitably a mono-,oligo- or polysaccharide, or another glycoprotein, preferably aglycoprotein or fragment thereof obtained from human erythrocytes [S.Kornfeldt et al., Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. (USA) 63, 1439-1446]. Theinterferons may also be desorbed by adjusting the pH to a value of 2.

The modified interferons of the invention possess similar anti-viralproperties to unmodified interferons but their half-lives are longer. Inparticular, they are active against the Herpes simplex virus asindicated in white New Zealand rabbits (1.0-2.0 kg) injected with 10³pfu Herpes simplex virus. 3 to 6 days after administration, all therabbits develop increasing paralysis and in approximately 2/3 of therabbits, encephalitis with normally lethal results sets in. 10⁶ units ofthe interferon preparation are injected as a single dose or in 4 divideddoses at 6 hourly intervals, beginning at the onset of infection and theresults in the animals observed.

For the above-mentioned use, the dosage will, of course, vary dependingon the compound employed, mode of administration and therapy desired.However, in general, satisfactory results are obtained when administeredat a daily dosage 10⁵ to 10⁷ units per Kg animal body weight, preferablygiven as a single dose or in divided doses 2 to 4 times daily. For thelarger mammals, the total daily dosage is in the range of 5.10⁶ to200.10⁶ units. Unit dosage forms suitably comprise from about 10⁶ to50.10⁶ units of the compounds admixed with a suitable liquidpharmaceutical diluent, for parenteral administration, e.g. intravenousadministration in the form of sterile injectable solutions orsuspensions.

The subject-matter of the references quoted in the foregoing descriptionis hereby incorporated by reference.

The following Examples illustrate the invention. In the Examples,reference is made to isoelectric focusing. This is carried out as an LKB7900 Uniphor Column Electrophoresis system, Volume 220 ml, using pH 3-10ampholine carrier ampholytes. The isoelectric focusing is performedaccording to the LKB Instruction Manual. All operations are carried outat 2° C. After 36 hours, 5 ml fractions are collected and the pHimmediately recorded.

EXAMPLE 1: Production of Interferon

Interferon is produced in primary rabbit kidney cells according to themethod of Tan et. al., Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. 67, 464-471 with thefollowing modification. Monolayers are incubated with 200 μg/ml ofpoly(1) poly(C) for 1 hour at 37° C. After removing the inducer thecells are washed twice with Hanks buffered saline solution and 10 μg/mlof cycloheximide in Eagle's minimum essential medium containing 2% fetalcalf serum is added. The cultures are incubated for 31/2 hours at 37°C., then 3 μg/ml of actinomycin D is added and the incubation continuedfor a further 1/2 hour. The antimetabolites are removed, the cellswashed 5 times with Hanks solution and covered with fresh medium withoutserum. After 8 to 10 hours, the supernates are harvested, centrifugedand stored at -70° C. until use.

20 Liters of supernate are concentrated 200 fold by ultra filtrationthrough Diaflo PM-10 membranes (Amicon), dialysed against dilute aceticacid (pH 3.0) and freed from precipitated proteins by centrifugation.

For interferon assays, the plaque reduction test on primary rabbitkidney cells is used. Monolayers in 6 cm Petri dishes are treated forabout 18 hours with 2 ml of interferon dilutions and then challengedwith 50 to 80 plaque forming units of Vesicular stomatitis virus. Titersare expressed as the interferon dilution causing a 50% plaque reduction.An international standard is included in each series of assays. Allresults are corrected to this standard and expressed as internationalunits per 2 ml.

EXAMPLE 2: Purification Process

The phytoagglutinin of Phaseolus vulgaris required for the process ispresent as bactophytemmagglutinin and is purified as described by T.Weber et al., Scand. J. Hamat. 4, 77-80. The erythroagglutinatingportion is gel-filtered on Sephadex G-150 and then coupled with theN-hydroxysuccinimide ester of the succinylated aminoalkyl agarose (P.Cuatrecasas et al., Biochemistry 11, 2291-2299).

This agglutinin shows a specific reaction with the oligosaccharidesequence galactose→N-acetyl-glucosamine→mannose, which is present inmany glycoproteins as structural characteristic. As may be seen in FIG.1, [³ H]-marked asialointerferon adsorbs very strongly on this lectincoupled with agarose.

A total amount of 10,000 units of interferon with 120,000 dpm [³ H]activity is used. Approximately 50% of the radioactivity do not adsorb,a further 20% can be eluted with 0.1 M galactose. However, this materialshowed no biologic activity. A complete desorption is obtained with aglycoprotein fragment from human erythrocytes. This glycoproteinfragment is obtained from the membrane of human erythrocytes aftertreatment with trypsin in accordance with the method described by S.Kornfeld et al., Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. (USA) 63, 1439-1446.

After the addition of this glycoprotein fragment to the eluant, a sharpmaximum is obtained (see FIG. 1). All the remaining radioactivity iseluted, i.e. the interferon is desorbed within a sharply limited range.

EXAMPLE 3: Building in of N-acetyl-neuraminic Acid into Interferon

Reagents: CMP-N-acetyl-neuraminic acid is synthesised fromCTP-N-acetyl-neuraminic acid with the enzyme CMP-sialylic acidtransferase from salivary glands [E. L. Kean et al., Methods inEnzymology, 8, 208 (1966)]. The enzyme sialyl transferase is obtainedfrom rat liver [J. Hickman et al., J. Biol. Chem. 245, 759 (1970)] orcattle colostrum [B. A. Bartholomew et al., Methods in Enzymology, 8,368 (1966)].

4 cc of a solution of rabbit interferon containing 2.10⁶ units ofinterferon in 0.05 M tris HCl buffer, pH 7.5, 10 millimols of EDTA, 5millimols of magnesium acetate, are incubated with 2 millimols ofCMP-N-acetylneuraminic acid and 500 units of sialyl transferase. Aftertwo hours the solution is dialyzed against 0.1 N acetic acid and thenagainst distilled water, and the precipitate is removed by centrifuging.The supernatant material contains interferon into whichN-acetyl-neuraminic acid is additionally built in.

The enzymatic transfer is verifed by isoelectric focusing. Whereasbefore the treatment interferon is present in several molecular speciesof pI 6.3; 5.8; 5.3, the newly resulting product mainly has a pI of 4.8.The building in is further confirmed by the transfer of radioactiveN-acetyl-neuraminic acid. When CMP-[¹⁴ C]-N-acetyl-neuraminic acid isused in the enzymatic reaction, the pI 4.8 fraction shows a highbuilding in of [¹⁴ C] activity proceeding from marked neuraminic acid.The modified interferon is active against the virus Herpes simplex inrabbits at a daily dosage of 10⁶ units.

EXAMPLE 4: Enzymatic Oxidation of Asialointerferon

A solution of 40 cc of rabbit interferon with 5.10⁶ units of interferonis treated in 0.05 M sodium acetate buffer, pH 5.5, 0.15 M NaCl, 20millimols of CaCl₂, with an international unit of neuraminidase ofbacterial or animal origin. After 4 hours the material is dialyzedagainst 0.1 N acetic acid and subsequently against water.Asialointerferon is present in the supernatant material. When such apreparation is subjected to isoelectric focalization, it may be seen, ashas already been described (E. Schonne et al., Symp. Series immunobiol.Standard. 14, 61-68), that the heterogeneity of charge has disappearedand a uniform product with a pI of 6.3 has been formed. Thisasialointerferon is oxidized with the enzyme galactose oxidase. 2.10⁶units of interferon in 0.05 M sodium phosphate buffer, pH 7.8, 0.05 MNaCl, are incubated with 500 units of galactose oxidase for 20 hours.After dialysis against 0.1 N acetic acid, centrifuging is effected.

The reaction is ascertained by reduction of the newly formed C6 aldehydegroup of the terminal galactose with triturated NaBH₄. When the reducedmaterial is electrofocalized, the pI 6.3 interferon fraction shows ahigh building in of tritium. This material is hydroyzed in 2N HCl for 2hours at 100° C., is neutralized with Ag₂ CO₃ and freed from ions withan ion exchange resin. Tritium-marked galactose may be detectedunobjectionably in the hydrolyzed material by paper chromatography (seeTable). This Table shows results obtained with untreated and treatedinterferon and asialointerferon.

                  Table                                                           ______________________________________                                                    Incubation Totall [.sup.3 H]                                                                         [.sup.3 H] building                                    with       building in in galactose                               Reduction with                                                                            galactose  dpm/μg   dpm/μg                                  NaB[.sup.3 H.sub.4 ]oxidase                                                               protein    protein                                                ______________________________________                                        Interferon  -          39.115      2.182                                      Interferon  +          24.765      6.224                                      Asialointerferon                                                                          -          26.593      4.080                                      Asialointerferon                                                                          +          113.135     77.724                                     ______________________________________                                    

The modified interferon of this Example is active against the virusHerpes simplex in rabbits at a daily dosage of 10⁶ units.

EXAMPLE 5: Splitting off of Terminal Galactose

10⁷ Units of rabbit asialointerferon in 0.01 M sodium phosphate buffer,pH 6.5, are incubated with 1000 units of β-galactosidase fromDiplococcus pneumoniae, [R. C. Hughes and R. W. Jeanloz, Biochem. 3,1535 (1964)], for 3 hours. Dialysis is then effected against 0.1 Nacetic acid and the precipitate is removed by centrifuging. Thesupernatant material contains agalactointerferon. The splitting off ofgalactose may be ascertained with tritated asialointerferon. When thismaterial is treated with β-galactosidase, is plentifully dialyzed andsubsequently subjected to acid hydrolysis, no tritated galactose can bedetected in the hydrolyzed material.

The modified interferon of this Example is active against the virusHerpes simplex in rabbits at a daily dosage of 10⁶ units.

EXAMPLE 6: Biosynthesis of Modified Interferon

Interferon is induced in primary-rabbit kidney cells with 200 γ/ml Poly1:C. After incubation for 60 minutes, the inducer is filtered off, thecells washed three times and mixed with a fresh medium containing 40mM2-desoxyglucose or 40mM 2-desoxyaminoglucose. After incubation for 10hours at 37° C., the interferon in the supernate is recovered.

The recovered material is subjected to isoelectric focusing and materialwith biological activity is found only in the pH range 6.3 to 6.8,whereas natural interferon bands in various ranges. The product is shownto contain no terminal galactose residues in the following manner. 10⁶units of the biosynthetically modified interferon is incubated, as inExample 3, in 0.05M Tris HCl buffer (pH 7.5), 10mM EDTA, 5mM magnesiumacetate with 2mM CMP-N-acetylneuraminic acid and 500 units of sialyltransferase. In contrast to asialointerferon, the biosyntheticallymodified interferon does not take up any N-acetylneuraminic acid. Themolecular species with pI 6.3 to 6.8 remains thus after treatment withsialyl transferase and no additional fractions with lower pI valuesappear. The fact that, in accordance with Example 3, sialic acidresidues are transferred to terminal galactose residues, demonstratesthat the biosynthetically modified interferons contain no terminalgalactose residues as acceptors for sialic acid.

The modified interferon of this example is active against the virusHerpes simplex in rabbits at a dosage of 10⁶ units.

EXAMPLE 7

Similar results to those obtained in Examples 2 to 6 may be obtainedusing other animal interferons, for example monkey interferon, calfinterferon and human interferon.

What is claimed is:
 1. A process for the production of a structurallymodified interferon comprising enzymatically splitting off the terminalgalactose unit in asialointerferons by incubating with β-galactosidaseand recovering the modified interferon.
 2. A process according to claim1, in which the galactosidase is that from Diplococcus pneumoniae,Concanavalia ensiformis, Phaseus vulgaris, Aspergillus niger orClostridium perfringens.
 3. A process according to claim 1, in which thegalactosidase is that from Diplococcus pneumoniae.
 4. A processaccording to claim 2, in which the splitting off is effected at a pH offrom 3.5 to 6.5.
 5. A process according to claim 3, in which thesplitting off is effected at a pH of from 6.3 to 6.5.